Adamawa Rated Low in Education, Lecturer Blames Early Marriage, Location

Five civil society organisations (CSOs) under the Malala Fund Education Champions have rated Adamawa State Government low in the education sector.

A lecturer at Moddibo Adama University (MAU), Yola, Jamila Suleiman, said Adamawa education infrastructure has decayed.

Adama revealed this while speaking at a townhall on the state-level education manifesto for political candidates in Adamawa.

Suleiman, who was one of the resource persons, said the North East has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, while Adamawa has the highest number in Nigeria, with girls taking the lion’s share.

The lecture blamed early marriage, location of schools and poor hygiene as some of the factors that affect girls’ education in Adamawa.

Also speaking, a women rights campaigner, Emmanuella Nwahiri, urged the state government to earmark 22 per cent of its yearly budget to fund education properly.

Nwahiri said, The state government needs to improve welfare and capacity building for all teachers through professional development programmes.”

She advocated the implementation of the Safe Schools Plan of Action and the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-free schools.

Over 40 candidates of different political parties, traditional rulers, religious leaders, students and teachers from select government schools in the state attended the townhall.